The sutras say, “not to let go of wisdom is stupidity.”
When the mind doesn’t exist,
understanding and not understanding are both true.
When the mind exists,
understanding and not understanding are both false.
When you understand, reality depends on you.
When you don’t understand, you depend on reality.
When reality depends on you, that which isn’t real becomes real.
When you depend on reality, that which is real becomes false.
When you depend on reality, everything is false.
When reality depends on you, everything is true
Thus, the sage doesn’t use his mind to look for reality,
or reality to look for his mind,
or his mind to look for his mind,
or reality to look for reality.
His mind doesn’t give rise to reality.
And reality doesn’t give rise to his mind.
Both his mind and reality are still,
therefore he’s always in samadhi.
The sutras say, “nothing has a nature of its own.”
Act. Don’t question.
When you question, you’re wrong.
When you’re deluded,
the six senses and five shades
are constructs of suffering and mortality.
When you wake up,
the six senses and five shades
are constructs of nirvana and immortality.
Someone who seeks the way doesn’t look beyond himself.
He knows that the mind is the way.
But when he finds the mind, he finds nothing.
And when he finds the way, he finds nothing.
If you think you can use the mind to find the way,
you’re deluded. When you’re deluded,
Buddhahood exists.
When you’re aware, it doesn’t exist.
Because awareness is Buddhahood.
… Don’t hate life and death or love life and death.
Keep your every thought free of delusion,
and in life you’ll witness the beginning of nirvana,
and in death you’ll experience the assurance of no rebirth.
To see form but not be corrupted by form or
To hear sound but not be corrupted by sound
is liberation.
Eyes that aren’t attached to form are the gates of Zen.
Ears that aren’t attached to sound are also the gates of Zen.
In short, those who perceive the existence of phenomena
and remain unattached are liberated ….
When delusions are absent,
the mind is the land of Buddhas.
When delusions are present,
the mind is hell.